Croatia was the only EU nation in which the travel and tourism industry not only recovered but also surpassed its pre-pandemic contribution to GDP in 2022
Croatia has emerged as the sole nation amongst the European Union (EU) members and the United Kingdom to have reached pre-pandemic levels in its travel and tourism sector.
According to data provided by data collection website, Statista, Croatia was the only EU nation in which the travel and tourism industry not only recovered but also surpassed its pre-pandemic contribution to GDP in 2022. This sector accounted for nearly 26 pc of Croatia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), says a report.
The report adds that Portugal and Greece were two other countries to rank prominently in 2022, with travel and tourism representing 15.8 pc and 18.5 pc of their respective GDPs. Travel and tourism play a crucial role in several European economies, with Greece, Portugal, and Spain being particularly reliant on this sector.
According to the report, Ireland had the lowest GDP contribution among EU countries, standing at just 3 pc. Austria is a standout in Central Europe, with a 9.5 pc contribution in 2022, down from 10.8 pc in 2019 and among the Baltic countries, Estonia is distinctive, contributing 8.7 pc to its GDP in 2022 compared to 12.3 pc in 2019.
While in most European Union member countries, the travel and tourism sector contributes less than 8 pc to their GDP, there are a few nations that stand out, says the report.
Among them was Spain, where tourism accounted for a 13.6 pc share in 2022, a slight decrease from 14.1 pc in 2019. Malta and Cyprus also displayed significant contributions, with 12.6 pc and 12.2 pc, respectively, in 2022, compared to 15 pc and 13.7 pc in 2019. Italy maintained a relatively stable share, with 10.2 pc in 2022 versus 10.6 pc in 2019.
The statement adds that several other countries, including Austria, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Germany, Estonia, Luxembourg, and France, also showed noteworthy contributions.
Countries whose travel and tourism sector contributed less than 8 pc to their GDP include Finland, which decreased from 7.7 pc in 2019 to 6.6 pc in 2022. Sweden also saw a decline from 7.1 pc in 2019 to 6.7 pc. Hungary’s contribution dropped to 6.6 pc, down from 8.3 pc and Bulgaria fell from 9.9 pc in 2019 to 6.5 pc in 2022. Similarly, Latvia’s share decreased from 7.6 pc in 2019 to 6.4 pc.
Additionally, several countries, such as Denmark, Romania, Belgium, Slovakia, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Poland, and Ireland, all had travel and tourism contributions of less than 6 pc to their GDP in 2022.
In 2019, travel and tourism contributed over EUR 1,981.23 billion to Europe’s GDP, but by 2022, this figure had declined to EUR 1,838.65 billion. Similarly, in the United Kingdom, the contribution was EUR 235.59 billion in 2019, which decreased to EUR 224.78 billion in 2022.
